This invention relates to gas-wipe apparatus, particularly split gas-wipes for automatically passing large joints or splices therethrough.
The better comply with environmental regulations it is desirable to use gas-wipes on wire or strand tempering lines to remove quenching oil instead of burning it off as in previous practice. For processing on the line, tandem wire or strand pieces are joined by interlocking loops formed in their adjacent ends. The loops are very large compared to the cross section of the wire or strand itself. Use of gas-wipes on the line requires that such loops pass through the wipe automatically in order not to delay production.
Split gas-wipes are available for passing knots or small splices in workpieces. These devices have two mateable segments forming an opening for passage of a workpiece longitudinally therethrough. A plurality of spaced orifices formed in the peripheral wall of the opening direct gas flow toward the workpiece surface. The segments have mateable half-conical guide funnels on their entry side. One segment is mounted in fixed position in a bracket, the other hinged to the first along an edge parallel to the workpiece passline. When a knot or split larger than the cross section of the opening contacts the guides, it causes the hinged segment to rotate outwardly providing a space for the knot or splice to pass through. Usually, the up segment is rotatable and may be counterweighted to assure its rotation back to closed position after passage of the knot or splice. Thus, passage of the knots or splices is accomplished automatically.
For larger joints, between about 5 to 30 times the size of the cross section of a single workpiece, the conventional split wipe is not satisfactory. Rotation of the hinged segment tends to move the attached guide section out of the passline direction. Larger joints therefore tend to jump out of the passline preventing closure of the segments to their original position. Additionally, joints composed of interlocked loops such as those used on the wire tempering lines would not have room to pass through the knife at all and may hang up on the equipment. Where a plurality of strands are processed in close side-by-side relation space limitations prevent locating the hinge far enough from the passline to accomodate the joints.
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to solve the above-mentioned problems with split gas-wipes to permit passage of larger joints automatically therethrough.